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Finding ways to watch all the NBA games I want can be challenging due to the complexities of the US sports broadcasting system. I often run into frustrating blackout restrictions and get confused by the differences between in-market and out-of-market game broadcasts.
In a hurry? The easiest way to watch out-of-market NBA games is with NBA League Pass, which you can get through the following services:
All three services carry NBA. Pick based on your budget:
Best Overall
185+ channels including NBA, all major sports networks, and local channels. 7-day free trial – watch tonight, cancel anytime. Best if you want one service that “just works”, without piecing together bundles.
From $79.99/mo after free trial
Lowest Price
Carries NBA from $45.99/mo – roughly half the price of Fubo. Add channel packs if you want more. The lowest-cost route for NBA, if you are happy with a smaller bundle.
Most Channels
90+ channels including NBA – the closest thing to full cable without a contract. 5-day free trial, then from $59.99/mo.
Away from home? If your content is blocked, a VPN helps you keep streaming. Our top pick is ExpressVPN.
There is a lot of jargon that has been created to describe the strange way that many sports are broadcast in the United States. Two of the most important are out-of-market and in-market.
In-market games are those that involve your local team. If you live in Portland, Oregon, any matchup that involves the Trail Blazers is in-market. And any matchup that does not involve them is out-of-market.
To watch most in-market games, you need access to the regional sports network (RSN) that covers your local team. In the case of Trail Blazers games, that’s Root Sports Northwest.
NBA League Pass was created to allow basketball fans to watch out-of-market games. It is like the anti-RSN. So to continue our example, those in Portland would be able to watch all games except for those that involve the Trail Blazers.
There are various ways to watch out-of-market NBA games of varying degrees of cost and power.
Most NBA fans don’t need to even think about out-of-market games because the NBA has done an impressive job of providing nationally broadcast games. This year, 267 NBA regular season games will be broadcast on ABC (18), ESPN (79), NBA TV (106), or TNT (65). (Note that two games appear on ABC and ESPN at the same time. See our NBA Viewer’s Guide for the complete schedule.
All the play-in and playoff games will also appear on those channels.
The following streaming services offer all those channels:
Most of the major sports leagues provide out-of-market packages. There are NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB.tv, for example. And the NHL uses ESPN+ for this purpose.
Similarly, the standard way to watch out-of-market NBA games is to sign-up for NBA League Pass. You can get it directly from the league and watch either on the NBA app or through NBA.com.
There are three NBA League Pass subscription types. First, is the standard package, which you can get for $99.99/yr or $14.99/mo. This includes out-of-market games with commercials on a single device.
Next, you can get NBA Team Pass for $89.99/yr, if you are only interested in the games of your favorite team and don’t care about the rest. But it limits you to the games of a single team for not much cost savings.
Finally, you can get League Pass Premium for $149.99/yr or $22.99/mo. This package allows you to stream on up to 3 devices at once.
For local games, blackout restrictions apply for three days after the game. For nationally broadcast games, the blackout restrictions are removed three hours after games. Either case is not acceptable to most fans.
Given you will also need the other channels, most people get NBA League Pass through a live TV streaming service: Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV, and YouTube TV.
VPNs are powerful tools that are essential for cord-cutters. They won’t allow you to watch games you don’t have the rights to. But under circumstances where geotargeting is blocking you from watching games, they can work miracles.
But again: they don’t provide content. You need to combine them with a live TV streaming service like Fubo to catch the action during the NBA season.
We list this one last but it might well be your first option: reach out to friends, family, and co-workers. Most people enjoy watching live sports with a group and are glad to share their services.
A related prospect is the now ubiquitous sports bar. These establishments normally air multiple games at the same time. And more recently, you can even find non-drinking establishments that cater to sports fan, although they are still rare.
There is some variability in terms of device support for the various services. But they all support the most popular devices: Amazon Fire TV/Firestick, Android mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS (iPhone, iPad), Roku, Samsung smart TVs, and web browsers.
If you’re into catching out-of-market NBA games, NBA League Pass is a no-brainer. The streaming quality is consistently great, so you can watch without annoying buffering. It’s super flexible, working on everything from phones to smart TVs, and it’s easy to jump between live games, replays, and highlights. You’ll have access to tons of matchups, making it ideal for following teams outside your area. Since you’ll also want other key channels, most people pair NBA League Pass with a live TV streaming service like Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV, or YouTube TV. This combo covers all the bases, making it a solid setup for serious basketball fans.
This page was revised 2 times between May 2023 and October 2023.
Updated for 2023-24 season.
Added links to streaming services. Updated some section headings. Changes to some of the sections. Various content updates.